Over £100k grant to tackle London youth homelessness

City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, awarded Centrepoint £107,100, for its innovative work tackling youth homelessness in London.

A charity taking a holistic approach to helping London’s young homeless people get off the streets has received a large cash boost for its successful programme.

City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, awarded Centrepoint £107,100, for its innovative work tackling youth homelessness in London.

The funding will enable Centrepoint to continue its Dual Diagnosis programme, which currently runs in: Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Lambeth and Wandsworth. The initiative supports homeless young people who are misusing substances, and have issues around mental health.

The programme provides focused interventions for those who experience problems in these areas and treats them together rather than as separate issues.

It offers specific interventions focusing on helping people keep their tenancies and tailors its support to each young person’s individual needs. The project also includes training of frontline staff so that they
know when to refer young people to the programme.

Part of the funding will go towards activities such as a structured sports programme to help young people replace substance abuse or manage triggers.

The Dual Diagnosis programme supports young people aged 16-25 all across London. Over 80% of people who accessed the service last year reported a positive change in their wellbeing, and a 78% reduction in their substance use.

Dhruv Patel, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust Committee, said: “Centrepoint has considerable experience of working with homeless young people in London.